Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
‘Handsome’ Harley Race was a 7 time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion and considered one of the roughest and toughest professional wrestlers of his era. Today on the blog, we chat with Harley’s one and only son Justin and get to know a side of Harley that we perhaps didn’t know before.
Ring the Damn Bell: My first question is what was your earliest memory of your father?
Justin Race: My earliest memory of dad was playing in a hotel pool in Tampa Florida. I kind of remember this photo being taken. I was 3½ years old.
RTDB: Did your Dad keep kayfabe with you and your family while growing up or did he let you in on the secret world of professional wrestling?
JR: It was very difficult when I was young. Dad and mom had a system worked out when we traveled with him. They would signal to each other on whether the match that night was going to be a wrestling match or a blood bath (if dad was wrestling Abdullah the Butcher or Brody it was kind of a given
). If it was going to be harsh, mom and I would go to the movies, putt-putt, sightseeing, etc. If the match was going to be more technical we would go. But, mistakes were made. Dad’s matches sometime got out of hand. I watched him get hit with chairs, ring bells, belts, foreign objects, etc. Blood would fly everywhere. I would scream and cry because I thought they were killing my dad. Mom would have to take me out of the arena. It was quite traumatizing. Mom would always let me run into the dressing room after the match so I could see that my dad was okay. When I got older (10+ years old) I realized that he would be okay, but it was still difficult. Mom always knew. When people ask me if I ever had any traumatic events when I was a child, I say, “Well, besides watching my dad get the shit kicked out of him 5 nights a week, I might have been in a car wreck.”
RTDB: I could imagine Harley being the NWA Worlds Champion had him on the road constantly. How well did he balance being the top guy and family life?
JR: He did the best he could. He wrestled 300+ night a year. So, mom and I traveled with him as much as possible so we would all be together.
RTDB: Harley was famously known for his legendary barbecues. Any memories pertaining to those cookouts?
JR: Just a lot of huge guys eating unimaginable amounts of food. A week or 2 after a BBQ, we would find full plates of food stashed around the house (linen closet, under sinks in the vanity, etc.). The guys hid food in case dad ran out. Of course, only the young’ins did that. The older guys know dad NEVER ran out of food
RTDB: Was there any wrestler or promoter that you know of that your Dad never really cared for?
JR: Not really. Dad was friends with everybody. The business works better that way. I suppose it could be said that he was a little upset with Vince in the mid 80s, but they got over it.
RTDB: Did your Mom and Dad ever try to encourage or discourage you from being involved in professional wrestling yourself?
JR: I started amateur wrestling when I was 7 years old. I wrestled until I graduated from high school winning many State and National Championships. I also played football and wanted to be come a professional football player. But, my parents kept me away from professional wrestling. At the time, it was to hard on the body and the family.
RTDB: Can you talk about the wrestler who goes by the name of Leland Race and claims to be the son of Harley. Many were under the impression that he was a legitimate son to Harley including myself at one time.
JR: I am the only son of Harley Race and my mother Evonna. Homer Jason Jones wrestles under the name Leland Race (Leland is my father’s middle name), but he has NO relation to my family. I didn’t mind so much when my father was alive, but dad passed almost 5 years ago. With my father gone it makes me angry that Homer Jason still uses my dad as his gimmick. When dad broke into the business he wrestled under several different names (he even wore a mask a couple of times), until one day his father (my grandpa Jay) asked dad, “Why do you want to make a name for someone else?” From that day forward my dad wrestled as Harley Race (handsome or The King). Homer is doing exactly what my grandpa told my dad not to do.
RTDB: Any great road stories involving your dad that you are willing to share with us?
JR: In the mid 1970s, dad had a Jeep Wagoneer. If you put that 4×4 in emergency, all four tires pulled at the same time. Ric loved it. When dad bought a new one, he sold the old one to Flair. So, we’re leaving an auditorium in N or S Carolina (I can’t remember the city. I was a little kid). Ric is in front of us. He pulls to a stop at a red light. Dad looked over at me and said, “I wonder how powerful this thing is?” So, he puts it in emergency, and coasts forward until our bumpers were touching. Dad then proceeds to push Ric right through the spotlight. Smoke from tires and squeals went everywhere. As luck would have it, a cop sees dad do this. The police car came roaring up behind us, lights and sirens blowing. Dad and Ric pulled over. The police officer jumps out of his car, gun drawn, and moves towards us. He thinks he’s about to arrest to crazy kids. The cop sees my dad, and then he sees Flair. He instantly recognized them. He got on his radio for backup but not backup for helping in an arrest. He wanted all his buddies to come and get autographs. So, dad and Ric spend an hour signing autographs. We got back in our respective Jeeps (no tickets, no warnings, just a lot of thank yous from the officers). Dad looked over at me and said, “Don’t Tell Your Mother.”
RTDB: Are there any facts about your Dad that you would like wrestling fans to know about? Your dad had a big reputation for being feared as a legitimate tough guy. In fact, the toughest of his era. Any stories you could share?
JR: Two situations come to mind. It was not wise to cross my dad in the ring. If things got out of hand, or things weren’t going how he wanted them to go, dad would put them in a wrist lock or head lock and, in his low gravelly voice, whisper in their ear, “Don’t piss me off!”
And, the first time dad had André above his head for a slam, André kept saying in his impossibly deep voice, “Boss, put me down! Boss, put me own!” Dad said, “Shut-up you big son-of-a-bitch! Someone’s gotta take a picture of this!”
RTDB: How did your father feel about joining the WWF after all those years in the NWA and his feelings about getting the gimmick of King Harley Race?
JR: Actually, Vince inadvertently gave my father a tremendous honor. When he became The King of Wrestling, it turned out not to be a gimmick. After 8 NWA World Titles, a host of other Titles, and being called The Boss, Mr. Race, or simply King by all the wrestlers young and old, means you are THE KING. He literally became the King. Like Richard Petty to auto racing, or Arnold Palmer to Golf, Roger Federer is the King of Tennis, and Michael Phelps is the King of Swimming (all individual sports), they were all Kings of their sports. There are many different champions over the years, but only one King.
RTDB: There was a story being reported that during Harley’s final days that Vince McMahon paid for his transporting from one hospital to another via helicopter. Any truth to that?
JR: Actually, it was a medical airplane. It was very kind of Vince.
RTDB: Justin thank you so much for chatting and sharing some great stories about your Dad.
JR: Incidentally, I’m writing a book called “Don’t Tell Your Mother.” It’s about all the funny stories and crazy things my dad and I did.
RTDB: Please let us know when that book becomes available and thanks again for your time.